What do Melissa McCarthy’s flowing Reem Acra caftan, Laverne Cox’s sultry Haney gown and “Glow” star Britney Young’s sequined Christian Siriano cocktail dress have in common? Each piece was created exclusively for 11 Honoré, a high-end online retailer pioneering the first size-inclusive luxury shopping site for sizes 10 to 20 and up.
And today, the e-tailer will stage its inaugural runway show during New York Fashion Week, boasting looks from an impressive 35 designers, including Zac Posen, Jonathan Simkhai and Monique Lhuillier (all already featured on the site) along with labels Fleur du Mal, Huishan Zhang, Cushnie and Roland Mouret (coming soon).
Founded by Patrick Herning in 2017, 11 Honoré — a moniker meant to evoke a destination where women are honored — offers its clientele a sweeping array of high-fashion, size-inclusive clothing options that are rarely available to women who don’t fit so-called “straight sizes.”
11 Honoré’s customer is “everybody who has been excluded historically from straight sizes in retail locations,” Herning (also the company’s CEO) tells Alexa. “She is a 25-year-old influencer, and she is a woman who is more than 60, and she is everything in between. We’re here for her, wherever she is in her fashion journey.”
Why should a woman have to sacrifice her options, why should she sacrifice what she wants?
Herning says each of the site’s brand partners was eager to be part of what he calls “a movement.” And unlike the traditional retail model, 11 Honoré’s team works closely with each label, even offering fit models and assistance with pattern development to ensure proper sizing.
“Our designers want the fit that straight-size women have,” he says.
The absence of well-tailored, attractive plus size clothing is an issue Oscar nominee McCarthy has often called out. “It sends the message: ‘We don’t want to see you, and we sure as hell know you don’t want anybody to see you,’” McCarthy told the Guardian, adding that the typical shapeless and drab options “certainly took away my love of clothes for a long time.”
As Herning says: “Why should a woman have to sacrifice her options, why should she sacrifice what she wants?”
On that front, 11 Honoré stocks chic wares from more than 70 luxury labels, including Marchesa, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu, offering everything from understated, elegant lingerie to dramatic evening gowns. A relaxed-fit blazer in a midnight blue jacquard by Rachel Comey rings up at $625, while a crepe jumpsuit from Brandon Maxwell embellished with Swarovski pineapples runs about $2,495.
(The digital shop also publishes Page 11, featuring profiles on powerful women who embrace size inclusivity, as well as articles on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and culture.)
Even if a customer isn’t ready to invest in 11 Honoré’s luxe pieces, Herning stresses that she is still very much part of the site’s core mission.
“If she just knows that we exist and feels heard and seen — then we’re doing our job.”
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